Of Insects and Illness
by sammygirl1963
Summary: Birthday fic for CRIMINALLY CHARMED Alan contracts a case of Malaria and becomes deathly ill.
1. Chapter 1

Of Insects and Illness

Disclaimer: **I don't own the Thunderbirds or anything recognizable in this story.**

**Author's Note: **This is my first Thunderbirds story and was written as a birthday present for the incredibly talented **Criminally Charmed~~~ Happy Birthday My Friend. **I hope you enjoy the story!

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As Scott walked by his brother's room on the way to bed himself, he could hear the sound of soft sobs coming from his baby brother's room. Wondering what could have Alan so upset, he pushed open the door to the kid's bedroom to see the six year old sitting on his bed with his knees hugged tightly to his chest. "Allie, what's wrong?" He questioned as he sat down beside the blonde headed youngster and wrapped a comforting arm around him. He knew Alan had been acting a little off this evening, but put it down to the fact that they had spent most of the day down by the beach and that it had made Allie tired.

"I don-don't feel so good Scotty." Cried the little boy as he threw himself into his older brother's lap and wrapped his small arms around Scott's waist.

Scott became immediately concerned as he felt the slight shivers running through his little brother's body. Placing a palm against Alan's forehead, it was obvious that his brother was running a fever. "Looks like you might be coming down with something Sprout." Stated Scott as he wrapped a small blanket around Alan and then lifted the sobbing youngster into his arms. Carrying his little brother downstairs, he entered his father's study where Jeff was working on some Tracy Industries business.

"Scott, is something wrong? Jeff inquired as he looked up upon hearing the door open to see his oldest cradling his youngest to his chest.

"Yes Sir, I think Alan is getting sick" Scott replied as he traipsed over to their father's desk where Jeff was waiting to take the baby of the family into his arms.

"Hey Allie, what's wrong, why are you crying?" Jeff queried as he wiped away the tears that were coursing down Alan's fevered cheeks.

"My head hurts daddy and I feel funny all over." Alan whined before turning his head into his father's chest and beginning to sob in earnest.

"What do you mean you feel funny all over Sprout?" Scott questioned with concern as he kneeled down and placed a comforting hand on the little tyke's back.

"I hurts all over Scotty." Alan answered, the words muffled by his father's shirt.

"Dad, you want me to get something to reduce his fever?" Scott questioned, hating the way that his baby brother was hurting. He had basically taken over the father role to Allie when their dad had immersed himself into work after their mom had been killed in the avalanche.

"No, I think I better call his pediatrician and see what he want's us to do." Jeff answered, concerned with the fact that Alan was 'hurting all over.' This sounded like it could be more than just a childhood cold and he didn't want to take any chances. "Scott, I need you to get a wash cloth and give him a sponge bath to cool him off while I call his doctor."

"Sure dad, come on Allie, let's see if we can't make you feel a little better champ." Scott cooed into his baby brother's ear as he cradled Alan to his chest once again. Confidently striding out of the room, Scott carried Allie into the small bathroom on the lower level and sat him on the toilet seat. Grasping a soft washcloth, he held it under the stream of cooling water. Removing it, he wrung out the excess water and began to wipe down his little brother's face.

"You know, I was thinking that tomorrow, maybe you and I could play a game Spout, anything you want to." Scott voiced as he continued to wipe down Alan's arms.

"Could I have a story instead?" Alan questioned with pleading eyes as he looked up at his brother, feeling a little better from the cool cloth touching his hot skin. He still ached, but he didn't feel as hot now.

"Sure Spout, you just let me know which book you want me to read." Scott replied continuing his ministrations. He had just started to rub the washcloth over Alan's legs when Jeff walked into the room.

"Dr. Singer should be here in in a little over an hour." Jeff informed Scott as he stood at the entrance to the small bathroom marveling at the gentleness that Scott used in taking care of Alan. "The pilot for Tracy industries is going to fly him over."

"As long as he gets here soon, I'm worried about Allie." Scott told his dad as he pulled off Alan's shirt to wipe down his chest and back. As soon as he removed the shirt, he couldn't help but notice the mosquito bites on Alan's stomach area. "Hey dad, have you seen these?" Scott questioned as he pointed to the small raised bumps that looked just a little irritated.

"No, when did he get bitten?" Jeff inquired as he bent down and examined the area closely. He was pretty sure they were mosquito bites, but wasn't one hundred percent certain. Living on an island, he knew Alan could have been easily bitten by some other small insect or creature.

"It could have happened while we were all down at the beach enjoying ourselves. I'm sorry dad, I should have taken better precautions and Allie wouldn't have been bit." Scott said a little despondently. Alan was his responsibility and he should have made sure the kid was well taken care of.

"Don't blame yourself Scott, there's no way you could have known he was being bitten. I'm sure you applied insect repellant before you left." Jeff said immediately noticing the way that Scott was blaming himself for what happened.

"Yeah I did, but still, I should have…"

"No buts Scotty, you did fine. Besides, Alan could have been bitten at anytime within the past few days so stop blaming yourself." Jeff ordered knowing how hard Scott would be on himself if Alan's illness was related to the bites. In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but worry that Alan could have some kind of mosquito borne infection.

Nodding his head, Scott wrapped Alan in a warm towel and then hoisted him up into his arms. "I'm just going to take Allie to his room and change him into some fresh pajamas."

"Don't worry Scott, I'm sure Dr. Singer will find out what's wrong with Alan and he'll feel better soon." Jeff said as he gave Scott's shoulder a firm squeeze in support before allowing his oldest to pass by.

"Yea, I guess." Scott answered before carrying Alan up the stairs and to his room. Placing his little brother on the bed, Scott opened the middle drawer of the small dresser beside Alan's bed and pulled out his favorite pajama's. Quickly dressing his brother, he lay against the headboard of Alan's bed and pulled his baby brother into his arm's. "You're going to be okay Sprout." He whispered as he felt Alan snuggle against his chest seeking the warmth of his body. Closing his eyes, he relished in the soft breaths he could hear coming from the baby of the family.

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Knowing that he wouldn't be able to focus on work with one of his son's sick and the other blaming himself for it, Jeff paced the floor in agitation waiting for the doctor to show up. He prayed that nothing was seriously wrong with Alan or he would have two sons to worry over. Glancing towards Lucille's picture which sat in a silver frame on his desk, he wished his wife were there. She would know what to say to Scott to make him feel better about things. Those boys desperately needed their mother and he just didn't know what to do to make it better. He was drawn out of his musing as he heard a knock upon the door.

"Hello Robert, thank you so much for coming on such short notice." jeff stated upon opening the door. "Alan is upstairs, Scott is with him" Jeff said as he shook the doctor's hand.

"It's not a problem Jeff. I was more than happy to come, you know how much I enjoy seeing the boys. I just hate that this time it's because one of them is sick." Robert retorted as he followed Jeff up the stairs. He knew how protective the family was of their youngest and would have dropped everything to make sure that the little one was okay.

Knocking on the door slightly, Jeff pushed it open to see Scott asleep against the headboard with Alan held protectively in his arms as he too, slept against Scott's chest. Smiling at the sight, he wished he could allow them to sleep peacefully. Walking over to the bed, he gently shook Scott's shoulder. "Son, Dr. Singer is here to check on Allie." He whispered as he watched Scott's cobalt blue eyes open.

"Sorry, guess I feel asleep." Scott mumbled as he raised a hand to rub at his eyes. Scooting to the side of the bed, he stood up and then gently lay Alan on the bed. He's still running a fever." Scott informed the doctor as he felt the heat coming from Alan.

"I'll see what I can do to take care of that just as soon as I examine Alan." Dr. Singer voiced with a smile as he pulled out his stethoscope to listen to Alan's heart and then wrapped his fingers around Alan's wrist to take his pulse. "His heart rate and pulse are fine, but he's obviously fevered and I don't like the pallor of his skin. What can you tell me about his symptoms."

"He was complaining earlier of a headache and that he was aching all over. Scott gave him a sponge bath to try and cool him down a little and he noticed some bites on his stomach area." Jeff answered as he swiped a palm across his mouth.

Taking note of what Jeff said, Robert immediately lifted the pajama top and became concerned by the look of the bites. Grasping Alan's small hand, he checked the nailbeds to see that they were so pale they were almost white. _"Damn, this isn't good." _he thought right away. "Jeff, I'm afraid Alan's going to have to be taken to the mainland for some blood tests. I can't be sure without taking some blood tests, but it looks like Alan could have malaria."

"Oh God, no." Scott groaned as his face turned a deathly shade of white knowing how dangerous malaria was for small children just before his knees buckled and he started collapsing towards the floor.

**TBC **_**Do you want to read more? **_


	2. Chapter 2

**Of Insects and Illness Ch. 2**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Thunderbirds or anything recognizable in this story.

**Author's Note:** I have no medical knowledge whatsoever so please forgive any glaring errors. I am also sorry for the wait on this one. My four year old nephew had his tonsils removed and had a rough few days.

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**Prevously: **_"Oh God, no." Scott groaned as his face turned a deathly shade of white knowing how dangerous malaria was for small children just before his knees buckled and he started collapsing towards the floor._

"Scotty!" Jeff called out anxiously as he caught his oldest in his arms and gently lowered him to the floor. He could feel the tremors running through the teen's body and it worried him to see Scott looking so pale and out of it.

Immediately shifting his attention to Scott since there was nothing more he could do for Alan at the time, Dr. Robert Singer knelt down beside Jeff's firstborn son and wrapped his finger's around the young man's wrist noting that the skin felt a little clammy. "His pulse is too rapid. We need to elevate his legs and get him to calm down." Robert voiced knowing that Scott could slip into shock at any time. It was obvious that Scott's high level of anxiety was causing the medical crisis and they needed to calm the boy quick before his tachycardia or rapid heart rate became too dangerous and placed a burden on his heart.

"Scott, I need you to calm down for me son, Allie needs you." Jeff voiced soothingly into his son's ear as he propped the extra pillow's from Alan's bed under Scott's feet. He was hoping that the knowledge that Alan needed him would help Scott to become more coherent and get control of himself.

"Allie needs me?" Scott questioned with a slurred voice as he tried to push himself up. He was disoriented and felt a little lethargic, sort of like he was spaced out.

"Yes son, Alan needs you" Jeff intoned, breathing a sigh of relief once Scott was able to focus his eyes on him. "That's better, how are you feeling?" Jeff questioned as he brushed a hand through Scott's hair.

"I'm okay I guess. What happened?" Scott was surprised to notice that he was sitting on the floor while being supported in his father's arms.

"You nearly passed out on us." Robert answered as he placed the ends of the stethoscope to his ears so he could listen to Scott's heart. Listening for a few moments, he breathed a sigh of relief as the beat slowly returned to a more normal pace for a sixteen year old boy. "He's doing much better now." Robert stated with a smile as he glanced towards Jeff.

"Can I get up now?" Scott questioned with a desperate need to see Alan and make sure he was till breathing.

"Sure, as long as you take it easy." The doctor answered. He watched as Jeff gently grasped the teen by the arm and then helped him to stand.

Focusing on Alan, Scotts eyes became moist with tears. "It's my fault, I should have been watching him more closely then this would never have happened."

"Scott, you need to stop blaming yourself. If it is indeed malaria, that means it's been at least a couple of weeks since Alan's been infected. It usually takes six to ten days for the first symptoms to appear once a person has been infected." Dr. Singer explained hoping to release the young man's guilt.

"So what happens next?" Scott questioned to divert the attention away from him as he took Alan's small hand into his and sat on the bed beside him.

"We're going to have to take Alan to the mainland and do some blood tests. He'll be admitted to the hospital so we can start treating him right away if the blood tests confirm my suspicions."

"Robert, how bad could it get for Alan, I mean will he hurt much if he does indeed have malaria?" Jeff questioned as he watched Scott comforting his baby brother who was beginning to whimper on the bed.

"I'm not going to lie to you Jeff. It could get pretty bad depending on the type of malaria virus Alan has. Hopefully he'll have a mild case and only have to deal with fever, vomiting and diarrhea. If it is more severe, then Alan could suffer from convulsions, rigor, posturing, and in a worse case scenario, death."

"Damn." Jeff swore as he wiped a sweaty palm across his mouth upon hearing the information. "I'll call the pilot and have him standing by so we can get Alan to the hospital as quickly as possible." Jeff said as he picked up the phone to make the call. Once he was assured that the jet would be standing by within the hour, he decided it was time to wake his other sons. They would want to be close to Alan at the hospital and if he were honest, he needed them close by his side too.

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"Daddy, is Allie gonna be okay?" Ten year old Gordon questioned with a yawn as he sat by his father's side on the jet as it sailed across the ocean. He could see how upset Scotty was even though he tried to hide it and it scarred the copper haired child.

"We sure hope so Gordy." Jeff answered giving Gordon's hand a light squeeze, not wanting to lie to his prankster loving son. The situation with Alan was serious and he couldn't mislead his boys into thinking their world was perfect when the opposite could eventually prove true.

"How did Alan get sick?" Gordon questioned innocently as he chewed on his fingernail. Him and Alan had played in the water for a long time at the beach even though it was a little cool and he hoped it wasn't his fault that Alan had to go to the hospital now.

"The doctor thinks Alan got sick from a virus, but we won't know for sure until we get to the hospital." Jeff replied knowing that when Gordon was nervous, he had a habit of talking a lot and questioning things.

"A virus is an organism that you can't see with your eye Gordon, you need a microscope to see it." Virgil explained as he saw the quizzical look that his brother wore. "Once it gets into your body, it starts to multiply and that's what makes you sick."

"But how did Alan get the virus in him?" Gordon questioned not quite sure about what Virgil was explaining to him.

"Well, it can get in through different ways. You can get a virus by someone coughing or sneezing on you or…"

"So that's why you always tell me to cover my mouth and nose when I sneeze." Gordon interrupted suddenly understanding why Virgil always got onto him.

"That's right Gordy." Twelve year old Virgil answered, his interest in medicine already evident by the explanation he was providing. " But, you can also get a virus from being bitten by an mosquito or some other insect that is carrying the infection.

"Eww, that's just gross." Gordon stated with a shudder as he thought about being a meal for some obnoxious bug filled with germs.

"Virgil, don't you think that was a little too much information for someone Gordy's age?" John inquired as he turned to look at his younger sibling with expressive aqua-blue eyes.

"I was just answering his question John, he has a right to know." Virgil defended himself to his platinum haired brother.

"I'm just saying that he's a little too young to understand everything and that you might want to think about what you say to him before you say it is all." John retorted as his turned his eyes to the skies above. The stars always had a calming affect on him and he dreamed of someday being up there amongst them, just like his father had been.

"I am not too little." Gordon stated with a pout as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I'm almost as old as you."

"That's enough boys." Jeff announced with a smile. He loved his children dearly, but sometimes they could be handful if he allowed a situation to escalate between them. It was better to step in now to avoid hurt feelings later.

"Sorry Dad" he heard in unison from his three middle children before his attention was suddenly drawn to his youngest by the sound of his whimpers.

"Alan?" He questioned anxiously as he stood up and quickly made it to his baby boy's side.

"Daddy, my head hurts really bad." Alan cried as he lifted his arms to his father.

"Shh, you're going to be alright Sprout, I've got you." Jeff cooed as he picked up his baby boy and pulled him into a comforting embrace, grimacing at the heat radiating from Alan's body.

"Jeff, I need to give Alan an injection for the pain and fever." Robert informed the ex-astronaut as he pulled out a syringe from his medical bag and plunged in into a vial of amber colored liquid to withdraw some. Walking over to the quivering child in Jeff's arms, he lowered his pajama bottoms just a touch and quickly injected the medicine into Alan's bottom which caused the five year old to scream out in pain before sobbing. "The pain reliever should kick in within the next few minutes. Don't be alarmed if Alan falls asleep quickly, drowsiness is one of the side effects."

"Thanks Robert." Jeff said gratefully before looking towards his oldest. Scott had been quiet most of the trip and he was concerned that the weight his oldest was carrying upon his shoulders would soon overwhelm him. He knew it was his fault Scott blamed himself for everything bad that happened to his brothers, especially Alan. He had been so overwhelmed with grief when Lucy died that he had left it to Scott to raise his brothers with Alan being just a toddler at the time.

Moving toward his oldest, he sat down beside him and wrapped an arm around Scott's shoulders. He didn't say anything, he just wanted Scott to know that he was there if needed, even so it surprised him when Scott leaned over and rested his head on his shoulders. Scott didn't often show emotions he considered to be a sign of weakness and it was an indication of just how upset he was. Running his fingers through his own dark hair, Jeff wished he could tell Scott that everything would be okay, but his oldest already knew how dangerous malaria could be for someone Alan's age.

"Scott, do you mind holding Alan for a while?" Jeff questioned as he placed the now sleeping youngster into his oldest brother's arms. Looking at Scott, he was nearly bowled over by the emotions radiating from his cobalt blue eyes and it nearly caused him to gasp aloud with worry.

Cradling a sleeping Alan to his chest, Scott reclined his seat a few moments later and closed his own eyes as the thrum of the jet's engines and his exhaustion finally caught up with him. He felt a blanket placed over him and Alan just as sleep took hold, causing him to sigh in comfort. At least for a little while, he could believe in his dreams that the doctor was wrong, and that Alan would be just fine.

"Sleep well boys." Jeff whispered as he ruffled his sons hair affectionately. Noticing how quiet it had become, he glanced around to see that the others had also drifted off to sleep. _"At least they'll have a few hours of rest." _Jeff thought to himself knowing that if Alan was diagnosed with malaria after reaching the mainland, that rest periods could be few and far between.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

**Of Insects and Illness Ch. 3**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Thunderbirds or anything recognizable in this story.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the wait. I'll try to get the next chapter up more quickly. I also do not have any medical knowledge whatsoever, so please forgive any glaring errors.

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**Previously: **_"At least they'll have a few hours of rest." Jeff thought to himself knowing that if Alan was diagnosed with malaria after reaching the mainland, that rest periods could be few and far between._

Arriving at the mainland a few hours later, Jeff and his exhausted family were whisked off to the prestigious St. John's Hospital where the staff was waiting on the family to arrive. Dr. Singer had called ahead alerting them to the fact he would be arriving with a very sick young child in tow and to have an ER room waiting on him. As they arrived at the ER doors, Alan was quickly transferred to a waiting gurney and rushed inside while his family followed behind. As they pushed through the swinging doors, Robert informed Jeff that the boys would have to wait in the waiting room since he would be the only one allowed in the treatment room with Alan.

Turning to face his oldest, Jeff said, "Scott, I need you to watch over your brothers for me while I go with Alan. Can you do that for me son?" He hated putting the added weight on Scott's shoulder with his oldest already feeling guilty, but he had no other option.

"Yes Sir." Scott responded, even though he desperately wanted to be with Alan. He knew that his dad needed to concentrate on the baby of the family and couldn't do so if he were worried about the boys getting into mischief, especially young Gordon.

"Thanks son, I'll let you know something just as soon as I can. And Scotty, make sure you keep an eye out for anyone who looks suspicious." Jeff informed his oldest knowing that if the press heard about Alan, they would soon be descending on the hospital. Turning quickly, he jogged down to the treatment room that Alan had been taken into and was alarmed to see an IV port already being placed into his child' small limp hand as his baby boy cried.

"Robert?" He questioned anxiously, as he tried to comfort Alan while the nurse hung a clear bag of fluid from the stand and attached it to the port in Alan's hand once his pajama top had been removed.

"It's just a precautionary measure for now to keep Alan from becoming dehydrated since he threw up a couple of times on the way in." Dr. Robert Singer informed the anxious father as he started assessing his young patient's heart rate and blood pressure. As he worked, he became alarmed at the amount of heat emanating from Alan's small body. Grasping the tympanic ear thermometer he gently placed it into Alan's ear.

"Daddy. I'm c-c-cold." Alan whimpered as he drew his little arms and hands up to his chest as he tried to shift his ear away from the offending object being placed into it. He had barely finished the statement when his body began to shake uncontrollably.

"Allie." Jefferson gasped as he reached out to try and stop his youngest from hurting himself with the way he was flailing about on the bed.

"Damn it." Dr. Singer cursed knowing immediately that Alan was beginning to exhibit classic signs of malaria with the sudden coldness followed by rigor, which the child was going through now. "Somebody call the lab and get me a phlebotomist up here right away. Tell them I need a blood culture for malaria and I need it done yesterday." Robert called out as he grasped a small vial from the medicine cabinet and quickly injected a mild muscle relaxant into Alan's IV.

"Robert, I don't understand, how could Alan have malaria when he was vaccinated for it?" Jeff questioned suddenly remembering that he had had all of his boys immunized before they moved to their tropical island. It had been a very hectic day that time at the doctor's office and it had taken all his patience to keep his three youngest occupied and behaving themselves as they waited to get their shots.

"Jeff, the vaccine given for malaria is only effective about sixty percent of the time it is given. Chances are that the dose Alan received was not substantial enough to build up the antibodies in his blood for his body to fight off the disease."

"What, why the hell wasn't I informed of this information when I had my boys inoculated?" Jefferson queried, anger evident in his words.

"I wish I could answer that for you my friend. Apparently the doctor who vaccinated the boys didn't think the information was very important at the time or assumed that you already knew the odds of the vaccine not working." Robert answered somberly. He hated when something like this happened because not only did it cause a lot of heartache for the family members of sick children, but it caused him too look bad too.

"I'm sorry Robert, I shouldn't have exploded at you like that." Jefferson Tracy apologized sincerely. "It's just that I'm so worried about Alan."

"I totally understand Jeff, I would lose my temper too if it were one of my children laying there on the table." The doctor replied as he moved out of the way for the phlebotomist, who had just arrived, to draw some blood. Once the lab technician had completed drawing the required blood samples, Dr. Singer once again approached his now sleeping patient to take his temperature once again to find a reading of 103 degrees.

"Jeff, we're going to be moving Alan up to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit it just a few moments. You might want to go out and talk with your boys about what's going on while Alan is sleeping. The medication I gave him should keep him out for a few hours. Also, I am going to have Alan placed into one of our private rooms where all of you can visit with Alan at certain times of the day together." The doctor informed the harried looking father as he placed a cooling blanket over the young child to help bring his fever down.

"Thanks Robert, I would very much appreciate that." Jeff replied, grateful that he would be able to keep his boys with him most of the time. He knew however that there would be times that he would have to rely on Scott to stay with either his brothers or Alan while his baby boy was being treated. If need be, he would call Brains of Kyrano later to enlist their aid in helping to take care of his other sons. Standing beside Alan's bed, he carded his fingers through his baby's blond locks and whispered, "I love you Spout." Bending down to plant a kiss Alan on his fevered forehead, Jeff sighed and palmed his cheek tenderly before turning to leave the room. His other boys needed to know what was going on with their baby brother.

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"Scotty, what are they going to do to Allie?" Gordon asked as he gazed up at Scott, his green eyes misted with tears. He hated that the doctors had kept them from being allowed to go back with Alan and it petrified him to think something could happen to Allie while they were separated, sort of like what happened to their mom.

"They're going to do whatever it takes to make Alan better" Scott answered as he swiped the tears away that were beginning to roll down Gordon's cheeks with his thumbs.

"Like what?" The ten year old inquired as he chewed on his bottom lip.

"Well, they'll probably have to do a blood test to find out what is making Alan sick and then they'll start him on antibiotics or some kind of other medicine to help him get well." Scott answered, making sure his explanation wasn't too technical for the ten year old child.

"Do you think they'll keep him at the hospital tonight cause Allie won't like it if they make him stay here?" Gordon asked as he leaned into his brother's side with a yawn.

"Yeah, he'll probably have to spend the night, but Dad will make sure he's not alone Gordy." Scott replied as he grabbed his jacket off of the chair beside him and wrapped it around Gordon. It was obvious the copper haired child was nearing the end of his limits since it was the middle of the night. Easing his brother down so that he could rest his head in his lap, Scott began to hum as he ran his fingers through Gordon's hair to ease the child off to sleep.

"He is going to be alright, you know that don't you Scott?" Virgil queried as he noticed the worry lines etched into Scott's face. He hated seeing his older brother so worried.

"I sure hope so Virgil, I don't know what I'd do without him." Scott choked out turning his head away as his own eyes began to mist with tears. He didn't want to show weakness in front of his brother.

"Scott…" Virgil started to say something to try and comfort his brother when he noticed their father walking through the swinging doors that separated them from Alan. "Dad's here."

Walking into the ER waiting room, Jeff was glad to see the room fairly empty. At least there was no reporters lurking around trying to get a juicy story on his family. Glancing towards his children, he could see Gordon curled up with his head in Scott's lap fast asleep while John sat sleeping on the small love seat beside them and Virgil sat in a chair opposite from Scott. Striding over towards them, he could see the angst written on Virgil's face as he talked with his brother.

"Scott, Virgil, is something wrong?" Jeff asked as he kneeled in front of his sons and waited for an answer. He couldn't help but notice the way Scott took in a stuttering breath and wiped his eyes before turning to face him.

"No, were fine, how's Alan?" Scott answered, hoping his father didn't hear the slight quiver in his voice. The last thing his dad needed was to worry about him losing it.

"Robert's pretty certain he has malaria. He's ordered some blood tests to be sure." Jeff answered as he squeezed Scott's shoulder in comfort. "They're admitting Alan to the hospital and he'll be placed into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit so they can keep a close eye on him." Jeff answered softly.

"It's bad, isn't it Dad?" Scott asked as he scrubbed a hand across his mouth.

"I'm not going to lie to you son, it could be. The doctor said that there's a chance Alan could suffer some rough complications from the illness, but that doesn't mean that he will, we'll just have to pray for the best." Jeff stated offering words of encouragement to his oldest.

Trying to clear his throat of the lump that seemed to settle there, Scott asked, "When can we see him?"

"As soon as they get Alan settled, we can go up and be with him." Jeff answered as he palmed the nape of Scott's neck to feel him slightly trembling. He hoped that seeing the youngest would help to put some of Scott's fears at ease. He didn't need his oldest worrying himself sick and ending up in the hospital too.

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

**Of Insects and Illness Ch. 4**

**Disclaimer:** See chapter one

**Author's Note: **I do not have any medical knowledge whatsoever, so please forgive any glaring errors.

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**Previously: **_"As soon as they get Alan settled, we can go up and be with him." Jeff answered as he palmed the nape of Scott's neck to feel him slightly trembling. He hoped that seeing the youngest would help to put some of Scott's fears at ease. He didn't need his oldest worrying himself sick and ending up in the hospital too._

Thirty minutes later, found the Tracy Family following a nurse to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit where the youngest of their family now resided. Exiting the elevator, even the colorful murals painted on the wall weren't able to brighten the mood of the oldest members of the family as they walked down the hall to Alan's room.

Stopping in front of the door of room 116, Jeff took a deep breath to prepare himself before pushing it open. He couldn't help but feel awash with anxiety as he saw his baby boy laying there in the bed looking so pale and small, an oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. Hearing a gasp from his right side, he turned to see Scott pale considerably as he placed a palm to his mouth, his eyes firmly fixed on Alan's small form.

"Scotty, he's going to be okay, he has to be." Jeff stated softly as he palmed the nape of his oldest son's neck to calm him down. He hated seeing the fear in the saddened cobalt blue eyes of his eldest child, especially since Scott rarely showed fear of anything.

"Sure he will Dad, he's a Tracy isn't he." Scott answered as he steeled himself suddenly remembering that his younger brothers were there watching him and that he needed to exude confidence to keep them from becoming concerned, even if he didn't feel it.

"Yes he is, and that makes him a fighter just like the rest of you boys." Jeff answered as he walked over to Alan's bedside, his children following behind him. Sitting down in the chair next to Alan' bed, he grasped the small boy's hand in his own, giving it a light and gentle squeeze. "We're all here for you Sprout. You just need to wake up and let us see those wonderful sky blue eyes of yours. We miss you son"

"Daddy, why won't Allie wake up?" Gordon inquired after a few moments of watching as he plopped himself in Jeff's lap, not caring that it made him seem younger than his actual age of nine. He was worried about his baby brother and needed the comfort of his father.

"Dr. Singer had to give him some medicine earlier that made him sleepy Gordy. Alan will wake up when he's ready to." Jeff soothed as he rubbed his hand up and down the young boys back in comfort. It was unusual for Gordon to be so clingy since he asserted his independence quite often.

Watching as the other boys gathered around Alan's bedside, Jeff noticed the tension in each of their faces as the gazed at their baby brother. He knew he would have to make some plans soon for them to stay in the hotel close to the hospital. It wouldn't do his children any good to be stuck in the somber environment around the clock, even though he personally wanted to be there every single second of every single hour until Alan was released.

"Hey Dad, did they give Allie something for his fever?" Virgil inquired as he noticed the readout on the monitor that was hooked up to Alan indicating a fever of over one hundred and one.

"Yes Virgil, Robert gave him a fever reducer while we were in the treatment room earlier so his fever is actually coming down." Jeff informed his eleven year old. He knew of his son's interest in medicine and was certain that he would grow up to be a doctor or medic of some sort, maybe even for the rescue team he was in the beginning stages of planning. It would take a few years to develop his idea and get it launched, but it would be worth all the headaches it was causing and would hopefully save lots of lives, sparing other families what he and his sons went through when his beloved wife Lucy died. He was soon drawn out of his musings at the sound of a soft whimper emitted in the room.

Allie, you're awake." John gasped with a smile as he watched his baby brother's eyes open and look around to find his family at his bedside.

When his eyes finally lit on his oldest brother, Alan held his arms out towards the teen. "Scotty, hold me." He pleaded, his voice sounding muffled by the oxygen mask as his eyes implored Scott to pick him up from the bed.

"How about I crawl into the bed with you instead." Scott offered knowing that Alan needed to stay connected to the machines that were presently monitoring his vital signs. Climbing into the bed, he pulled Alan close and felt the youngster snuggle into his side which finally allowed him to relax a little having the tyke so close. It didn't take long for Scott's tension to ease and for both boys to fall asleep since it was deep into the night.

Knowing that Alan would be watched over, Jeff whispered, "Time for us to go get a room so you boys can get some sleep yourselves. He didn't want to leave Alan, but he had his other three sons to consider also.

"But what about Scotty daddy, isn't he coming too?" Gordon questioned with a pout at having to leave so soon.

"No Gordon, Scott is going to stay with Spout and keep him company while the rest of us get some rest." Jeff informed his copper haired child as he ruffled his hair affectionately. Standing up, he bent over to kiss Alan lightly on the forehead before leaving causing Scott to rouse from sleep.

"Scott, I'm going to take the boys to the hotel across the street so they can get some sleep while you stay here with Alan." Jeff whispered knowing that his oldest needed to spend some time with his baby brother, even if it was in slumber. "We'll see you sometime tomorrow afternoon after they've all had a decent amount of sleep."

"Okay dad, and don't worry, I'll take good care of Alan." Scott replied closing his eyes once again.

"I know you will son, I know you will." Jeff said with a smile even though Scott was already in the throes of sleep once again.

* * *

Arriving at the five star hotel just across the street from the prestigious St. John's Hospital, Jeff booked his family into one of the penthouse suites wanting his children close to him. Gathering the three of them together, they entered the elevator and took it up to the top floor of the hotel. Tipping the porter who had carried their bags, Jeff glanced around the palatial suite. The room had a comfortable looking sofa which was placed in front of a large plasma television screen which hung upon the wall. One on side of the screen was an entertainment center loaded with DVD movies and games for the gaming console which rested on a shelf located just under the television screen. His children would most likely make good use of that at some point. Off to the right was a decorative fireplace with a protective screen placed in front and a small well stocked bar area sat in the far corner of the room.

Surveying the area to his left, he noticed a large kitchen available for their use if need be and he had no doubt that the cupboards would be well stocked also, just like the complimentary bar. Beyond that was a small patio or deck area which he would make sure was kept locked. No way was he chancing a energetic Gordon going outside on the patio when they were now residing on the top floor of the hotel. Turning towards the left, he could see three bedrooms, one which was obviously the master bedroom with all of its luxuries and two smaller bedrooms, each with a king sized bed and a small bath.

"Okay boys, time for bed." Jeff called out as he rubbed his weary eyes knowing that his boys needed their sleep. It was deep into the night and his children should have been in bed long ago.

"Aw Dad, can't we play a couple of games first?" Virgil pleaded after having gone through the video games while his dad was checking out the place. He had found a cool space game and wanted to give it a try.

"No son, it's much too late to be playing games. I want you and you brothers in the bed within the next thirty minutes or there will be some consequences to pay, understand?" Jeff stated sternly.

"Yes Sir." All three boys responded chorally not wanting to deal with their dad's wrath. He sure could come up with some creative ways to teach a hard lesson when he wanted to.

"Virgil, you and Gordon can bunk together for the night while John has a bed of his own." Jeff stated as he grabbed their suitcases and placed them into their rooms.

"But Daddy, can't I sleep with you instead." Gordon pleaded as he looked at his dad with his expressive green eyes.

"Sure Gordy, I guess that would be alright. Why don't you go get changed into your pajamas and I'll be there to tuck you in shortly." Jeff answered with a smile knowing that his copper topped child was still angsty over leaving Alan and Scott behind at the hospital. At least with having Gordon in his room, he could make sure that he actually got some sleep. Watching as his fourth born son raced off to do as told, Jeff couldn't help but marvel at his exuberance, even at four in the morning. If only he had the energy that Gordon possessed, the things he could get done would be amazing.

Checking in on both John and Virgil as they climbed into their beds, he walked over and closed the dark drapes to keep the early morning sunlight from streaming into the rooms once the sun rose over the horizon. Hopefully he and the boys would be able to get a good six hours of sleep before having to go back to the hospital.

Walking into the master bedroom, he sighed at the sight of Gordon laying in the bed and waiting to be tucked in. He hoped the prankster would go to sleep relatively quickly without wanting to carry on a conversation since he really needed some sleep himself. Reaching down to pull the comforter over the small boy, he lightly kissed him on the forehead. "Good night Gordy, sweet dreams my little one." He softly whispered before grabbing his own sleep apparel and going into the bathroom to change.

Exiting the room after changing his clothing and brushing his teeth, Jeff closed the dark drapes in his room also, but left the bathroom door slightly opened with the light turned on in case Gordon woke up in the middle of the night. Climbing into the bed, he whispered a prayer for Alan's wellbeing and then rolled over onto his side and snuggled up next to Gordon, wrapping an arm around him. His last thought before going to sleep: _"Please watch over our boys at the hospital Lucy, they both need you."_

**TBC **_**I hope you enjoyed this chapter of family fluff before the angst starts once again in the next chapter.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Of Insects and Illness** Ch. 5

Disclaimer: **See chapter one**

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the long wait. I'll try to do better at updating this story now that I managed to complete a couple of the others I have been working on.

* * *

**Previously: **_Climbing into the bed, he whispered a prayer for Alan's wellbeing and then rolled over onto his side and snuggled up next to Gordon, wrapping an arm around him. His last thought before going to sleep: "Please watch over our boys at the hospital Lucy, they both need you."_

Awaking around 10:00 A.M. the next morning, Jefferson Tracy decided to take a quick shower knowing it wouldn't be too long before his sons awoke, all clamoring to get back to the hospital and their baby brother. His boys had vehemently voiced their displeasure at being made to leave Alan the night before when Scott was allowed to stay, but he had done what was best for his boys, they needed their rest. Stripping off his pajamas and standing under the pulsating water, he allowed the flowing water to massage away the soreness he felt in his limbs after sharing a bed with Gordon. He had forgotten how much the kid could toss and turn. His second youngest was always active, even in sleep.

Turning off the water a few moments later with a sigh, he stepped out of the luxurious shower and wrapped a fluffy white towel around his waist and cinched it to keep it from falling. Passing by the mirror on the way out to get his clothing for the day, he couldn't help but notice the five o'clock shadow that was adorning his jaw. It was definitely time for a shave. Moving about quietly in the room to keep from awaking Gordon, he grasped a pair of black slacks and polo shirt, along with the undergarments he would need. Traipsing back into the bathroom, he placed the clothing on the rack which lined the wall. Opening his shaving kit, he grasped the can of shaving foam and squirted some in his hands to lather on his face preferring for a closer shave with a regular razor this time. Making a few careful swipes with the razor, he was surprised to hear Gordon's young voice talking.

"Hey Dad, when can I start shaving?" Gordon queried, his copper hair disheveled and sticking up in places giving him an endearing look.

"I'm afraid that won't be for a while Sport." Jefferson told his son with a smile as he shaved the area under his chin carefully.

"Aw, but Dad, I have some hairs growing right here on my chin, see?" Gordon informed his dad as he picked at the imaginary hairs.

"Sorry Gordy, but you aren't shaving at least until your sixteen." Jeff retorted as he finished shaving and then applied some aftershave before ruffling his prankster son's hair. "Now why don't you go wake your brothers so we can get some breakfast before heading back to the hospital."

"Okay" Gordon called out as he ran off happily to do as told. Something told Jeff that John and Virgil were in for a rude awakening. He wasn't disappointed when he heard a shout of _"Gordon, I'm going to get you for that!"_ Just a few moments later.

Sitting on his bed so that he could pull on his shoes, Jefferson was startled by the sound of his phone ringing. Grasping his phone from the small bureau in the room, he was surprised to see Scott's name highlighted on the dial.

"Scotty?" He questioned with concern hearing a swift intake of breath on the other end. If he didn't know better, Scott was crying.

"_Dad, you need to get here quick, it's Allie." _

"Scott, what is it, what's wrong?" Jefferson gasped as his heart plummeted in his chest thinking the worst. _"Oh Lucy, please don't let him die, I can't live without our baby." _He thought as he covered his mouth with his hand.

"_Dad, he can't breathe on his own, they've put Sprout on a ventilator."_

"I'm on my way Scott, I'll be there as soon as possible." Jeff croaked around the huge lump in his throat. "Just try to remain calm son and I'll get there as fast as I can."

"_Okay dad, just please hurry."_

"I will son, I promise." Jeff answered before closing the phone and ending the conversation. Taking a deep breath, Jefferson quickly pulled himself together and wiped away the tears that were silently cascading down his cheeks. He couldn't let his boys see how devastated he was. He had just washed his face with a cold wash cloth when John came walking into the room.

"Dad, is something wrong?" John queried noticing immediately that his father's face looked pale.

"It's Alan son, I have to get back to the hospital. I need you to make sure that Virgil and Gordon eat a good breakfast. And then I need you to call a cab to drive the three of you to the hospital afterwards. Can you do that for me John?" Jeff queried of his son as he looked into his aqua-blue eyes. He hated putting so much pressure on the thirteen year old, but Scott and Alan needed him desperately at the hospital.

"Yes Sir, I can do that." John replied anxiously. "But, what's wrong with Allie?"

"He's having trouble breathing John and they need me at the hospital right away. I'm sorry to put all of this on your shoulders son, but I don't know what else to do until I can get Kyrano or Brains here to help."

"We'll be alright Dad, you just get there and take care of Scotty and Alan." John voiced even though he was scared to death for his baby brother. His dad had enough worry on his shoulders without having to worry about them too.

"Here's the money you'll need to cover breakfast and the cab fare." Jefferson stated as he reached into his billfold and pulled out a couple of fifty dollar bills. "Be careful and I'll see you when you get to the hospital." Jefferson stated as he palmed the nape of John's neck and pulled him into a quick hug.

"Don't worry Dad, I'll take care of everything and we'll get there as soon as we can." John said with a smile even though he felt like crying. He watched as his dad walked out the door and then steeled himself for the questions that were sure to come from Virgil and Gordon.

* * *

Walking into Alan's room in the Pediatric ICU approximately ten minutes later, Jefferson's knees grew weak at the sight of his youngest son lying so lifeless on the hospital bed with a ventilation tube threaded down his throat. It pained him beyond imagination to think of his baby boy going through such a horrible procedure without him there. He couldn't even begin to imagine how terrified Scott must have been to watch his baby brother being intubated. Speaking of which, he glanced towards his oldest who was sitting in a chair by Alan's bed to see his shoulders slumped and his head resting in his hands.

Striding over to him, Jeff placed a hand on his shoulder. "Scotty?"

"It was so awful Dad. I felt so helpless. Alan woke up this morning with a high fever after suffering from chills the previous hours. I tried to make him feel better Dad, but Sprout just started crying. Next thing I knew, he started shaking really bad and went into convulsions." Scott rambled out before taking a stuttering breath

Listening to Scott, Jeff knew better than to interrupt his son. Scott needed to get things off his chest before he was consumed by the pain. Squeezing his son's shoulder to offer what little moral support he could, he waited for Scott to go on.

"I tried hold onto him to keep from hurting himself Dad, but then he suddenly went rigid and his lips started turning blue. He wasn't breathing Dad, Allie wasn't breathing." Scotty sobbed as his cobalt blue eyes finally looked up towards his father. "I've never been so scared in my life, I just yelled for help and that's when Dr. Singer came running in. If he hadn't got here as quickly as he did….we could have lost him Dad, we could have lost Alan.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to keep you from the trauma of having to witness what happened to Alan all alone." Jeff said as he kneeled in front of Scott and placed a hand on his head and gently tugged him to his shoulder. "I should have been here for you both."

"Dad, what if Alan do-doesn't make it through this? I don't think I can go on without him." Scott cried as he finally gave in to his fears.

"You won't have to Scotty. Alan's a Tracy, he won't give up the fight easily." Jeff stated with conviction.

"But he's still just a baby, he might not have the strength to fight for very long." Scott countered.

"And that's when we give him our strength son. As long as he knows we're here, he won't give up." Jefferson voiced as he rubbed a comforting hand up and down Scott's back.

"Ahem." Dr. Robert Singer cleared his throat to let the Tracy's know he had arrived. He didn't want to interrupt the moment, but he needed to check on Alan.

"Sorry to interrupt Jeff, but I need to assess Alan and how he's doing." The doctor announced as he walked over to check the stats on the medical panel that Alan was connected too. Keying in the information onto his medical pad, he was distressed to see that his fever was still higher than he would like.

"Robert, how's my baby doing?" Jefferson Tracy queried with fatherly concern once the doctor had finished his assessment.

"At this point, he's not doing so great. His immune system is having trouble fighting off the virus and it's weakened him considerably, so much so that it was too much of a strain on his lungs and I had to intubate him." The doctor answered honestly. "He's also developed a bad case of diarrhea so I've started him on another IV to help keep him hydrated and he'll have to wear diapers for the time being."

"Isn't there something else you can do?" Jefferson pleaded as he brushed His hand through Alan's hair.

"We're doing all we can Jeff. I've started Alan on a course of intramuscular quinine which has shown promising results in other cases. My main concern right now is keeping his blood cell count up so that he doesn't develop anemia which could lead to a coma, or worse, brain damage." Robert answered the billionaire. "Jeff, I know that things look pretty bleak right now, but you've got to have faith that Alan can recover from this. He'll need all the strength he can get from you and the boys to get through this illness. You can't let him see how scared you are or it could have a detrimental affect on his recovery."

"Don't you worry Robert, we'll give Alan all the love and strength he needs to get through this. I'm not leaving this place without all of my boys by my side." Jefferson Tracy stated with a strength to his voice that left no room for argument.

**TBC **_**I hope this chapter made up for the long delay in posting.**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Of Insects and Illness Ch. 6**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

* * *

**Previously: **_"Jeff, I know that things look pretty bleak right now, but you've got to have faith that Alan can recover from this. He'll need all the strength he can get from you and the boys to get through this illness. You can't let him see how scared you are or it could have a detrimental affect on his recovery."_

Sitting beside Alan's bedside a few hours later, Jeff could see the toll that stress was taking on his oldest. Scott's eyes were underlined with dark smudges and his cheeks were sunken in. He felt guilty for not having been there when Alan had had to be intubated. Scott was only fifteen and shouldn't have had to witness something so horrible happening to his baby brother.

"Scott, why don't you go to the hotel and get some rest son. John and the others will be here soon and you'll have the room to yourself so you can get some sleep." Jeff prodded hoping his oldest would listen. He was worried Scott's health would deteriorate if he kept going the way he was now.

"I'd rather stay with Allie, Dad. Please don't make me leave." Scott intoned as he rubbed his thumb across the back of Alan's small hand, the one without the IV attached to it. He couldn't stand the thought of leaving Alan with the state that he was in right now, fearing that if he did, he would never see his baby brother alive again.

"Scott, I'm just not sure that's such a good idea son. I'm worried how all of this is affecting you too son. It's obvious your exhausted and I don't want to see you get sick and end up in the hospital too." Jeff rebuked knowing how hard his oldest pushed himself, and he had only himself to blame for it. He had basically propelled Scott into becoming father to his other sons by immersing himself in his work and grief when Lucy had died.

"I'll get some rest, I promise. I have to be here in case…." Scott trailed off with a shudder as he thought about what could happen. Sighing, he wished he could block out the _whoosh-click _sound of the ventilator as it breathed for his brother.

"Scott, Alan's going to survive this son. He's getting the best of care, don't torture yourself with those kinds of thoughts." Jeff stated as he pulled his oldest into a comforting hug. "Sprout's going to be fine, just you wait and see." He enunciated with conviction, hoping that he wasn't lying to his oldest. He knew that malaria killed mainly the young and elderly, but Alan was a Tracy, and Tracy's were strong.

"Jefferson, is everything okay?" Dr. Robert Singer inquired as he walked into the room to check on Alan and saw the billionaire comforting his son.

"About as well as can be expected with everything that's going on." Jefferson answered as he turned to face the doctor. "Robert, how's my baby doing?"

"As you can see, he developed some problems with his breathing so I had to intubate him to take the pressure off of his weakened lungs. I wish I could give you better news, but Alan is still very critical." The doctor answered as he started assessing his young patient. Noticing that his skin seemed to be taken on a yellowish tone, he moved towards Alan's face and gently lifted his eye lid. "Damn, he's becoming jaundiced." Robert swore as he noticed the yellow coloring of the eyes also.

"Wh-what's that mean?" Scott questioned wearily after hearing more bad news.

"It mean's that Alan is becoming anemic. He's losing red blood cells quicker than his body can replace them. Usually, red blood cells will last anywhere from 90 to 120 days in the human body. But in Alan's case, they are rupturing due to the malaria" The doctor answered. "If we can't get a handle on it, then Alan could develop kidney damage and slip into a deep coma or worse."

"Surely there's a way you can treat the anemia isn't there?" Jeff questioned with alarm.

"Yes there is, but first I'm going to have to do a few tests to confirm my diagnosis. I'll have the lab run a peripheral blood smear and check for the LDH levels in his blood."

"And if the tests confirm that Alan has anemia?"

"Then we start Alan on a blood transfusion or steroid therapy to combat the anemia. Worst case scenario, I'll have to do a splenectomy since the spleen usually removes most of the red blood cells." Dr. Singer answered the distraught father.

Picking up the phone in the room, the doctor said, "I'm going to call for a phlebotomist to come take the blood samples and then do a more thorough examination of Alan. Why don't you and Scott go get yourselves something to eat. It's going to take a little while to complete the examination."

Knowing that Scott hadn't eaten anything in a while, Jeff decided to go along with the idea, even though he didn't like leaving Alan alone without either of them there. But he also knew Scott well enough to know his oldest wouldn't eat if he wasn't there to prod him to. "It has been a while since either of us had anything to eat and John should be arriving soon with my other two in tow, so I guess this would be a good time to get a bite of something. And before you ask, no Scotty, you can't stay." Returning his attention to the doctor, Jefferson asked, "Will you have me paged if anything changes?" while carding his fingers through Alan's blonde locks.

"Of course I will." Robert answered, knowing how protective Jeff was of his children. Watching as the two Tracy's left the room, he prayed that young Alan had the strength to fight the dreaded disease, because one thing was obvious, neither Jeff nor Scott would survive losing the child.

* * *

Stepping off the elevator on the first floor, the first thing Jeff heard was the excited voice of his second youngest son. Turning around just in time, he found himself nearly bowled over by Gordon as the youngster launched himself at his legs.

"Daddy, how's Allie, can he come home yet?" Nine year old Gordon queried as he wrapped his arms around Jefferson's waist.

"Sorry Gordy, but Alan is still pretty sick. He's going to have to stay in the hospital for a little while longer." Jefferson answered as he kneeled down in front of Gordon.

"But what's going to happen with us, will we have to stay here too?" Gordon asked with innocent eyes. "I don't like the hospital?"

"No son, you won't have to stay here, though you will be able to come and visit Allie. I've called Kyrano. He and Onaha will be coming to stay with you boys until Alan recovers enough that we can take him home." Jeff replied to his copper topped child with the intense green eyes.

"I hope it's soon daddy. I miss playing with sprout." Gordon voiced with a pout as Virgil stood silently by his side in a show of a support.

"I know you do son. Hopefully Alan will get better real soon and you two can get into your usual mischief once again." Jeff intoned with a sigh as he ruffled Gordon's hair. He would give anything to be at home now with Gordon and Alan pulling their pranks instead of having to be in the hospital, his baby on life support in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

As he listened to his father answer all of Gordon's questions, John couldn't help but be concerned about the way his dad had said that Alan was pretty sick. Grasping Scott by the arm, he pulled his fifteen year old brother aside. "Scotty, just how sick is Alan? Dad said he was having breathing problems, but he didn't say how bad it was."

Scrubbing his hands through his hair, Scott wondered if he should answer the question truthfully. It was hard enough on him knowing about the intubation, and he wondered how the news might affect his brother. "John, I don't know if I should answer, maybe you should ask…"

"Scott, why don't you take your brothers down to the cafeteria and get them an ice cream so I can talk to John." Jeff suggested after overhearing the conversation between his two eldest children. He could see the plight that Scott was under and didn't want him to feel more stressed than he already was. Pulling some money out of his billfold, he handed it over to Scott and watched as his oldest led his brothers towards the cafeteria. After they rounded the corner and were out of sight, Jefferson wrapped his right arm around John's shoulders and said, "Let's go find a place where we can talk."

Finding a small alcove where they could talk in private, Jefferson motioned for John to sit down before doing so himself. Taking a deep breath, he said, "John, I wanted to talk to you alone because I don't want to put too much worry on Gordon and Virgil right now with them being so young. I'm not even sure you should hear the news."

"Dad, I'm old enough to handle whatever you say, I mean I already know Alan was having trouble breathing and I'm assuming that what you have to say has something to do with that." John replied in hopes that his dad would let him know exactly what was going on.

"Yes it does son. I wish I didn't have to tell you this, but your baby brother is having trouble breathing on his own right now so the doctor has put him on a ventilator to do the breathing for him." Jeff informed his second born knowing that John was mature for his years. "I know it's scary, but Alan's lungs can't handle the job on their own right now so he has to have the help with breathing."

"Alan will get better though, won't he?" John queried anxiously as he looked into his father's saddened eyes.

"I sure hope so." Jeff answered as best he could without giving false hope. "We just have to believe that the medicines will kick in soon and give Alan a fighting chance. But until then, we need to try to keep things as normal as possible for Virgil and Gordon. So what do you say we go join those brothers of your for some ice cream."

"Okay, that sounds good to me." John replied as they both stood up to go join the others. Walking down the hallway, he knew his dad was right to try and keep things as normal as possible for Virgil and Gordon, the less they knew, the better it was for them. Walking into the cafeteria, they had just gotten an ice cream of their own and sat down with Scott and the others, when a young nurse came walking up to their table.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you gentleman, but Mr. Tracy, you are needed in the PICU stat." The nurse informed the father after having received an emergency message from the head nurse in charge of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

**TBC **


	7. Chapter 7

**Of Insects and Illness Ch. 7**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the long wait. I know I need to do better with updating this story on a more timely manner.

* * *

**Previously: **_"I'm sorry to interrupt you gentleman, but Mr. Tracy, you are needed in the PICU stat." The nurse informed the father after having received an emergency message from the head nurse in charge of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit._

Recognizing the urgency in the nurse's voice, Jeff knew immediately that something was horribly wrong. Pushing himself away from the table, he called out, "Scott, John, watch out for your brothers." as he started jogging away from the cafeteria. He hated leaving his boys that way, especially with the scared look on their faces, but Alan was the most important one now. Literally running down the hall, he arrived at the elevator in just under a minute. "Pressing the button repeatedly, he begged "Come on, come on." With a dire need to get to his youngest.

Slipping into the elevator as the doors slid open, he didn't apologize to the people who gave him a weird look on their way out. Waiting for the sliding door to shut, he pressed the number that would take him up to the pediatrics wing. As the elevator begin to move, he had a fleeting feeling of lightheadedness overtake him. Knowing that he needed to calm himself, he took a few deep breaths. He couldn't afford to have a panic attack now, not when his baby needed him.

He barely waited for the doors to open enough, before he was squeezing through them and making his way down toward the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. He took no notice of the brightly colored murals painted on the wall that tried to give the ward a cheerful look as he passed them. Arriving at Alan's door moments later, his knees nearly gave out as he watched Dr. Singer standing over his baby performing child CPR. "Oh God. Allie." He gasped as he covered his mouth with his hands and leaned against the wall, sliding down it as his legs refused to support him anymore.

He literally began to tremble as he watched Robert's palm pressing down on Alan's chest at a fairly quick rate as he called out instructions for someone to get him some epinephrine stat. He watched a nurse scramble to do as instructed and then return a few precious seconds later carrying a vial and syringe which she gave to his doctor friend. Watching as Robert withdrew some of the medicine into the syringe, he felt the bile rise in his throat as he watched the doctor administer the epinephrine straight into Alan's chest. A silent litany of "_Please don't leave us baby." _became Jeff's main thought as he waited to see if the life saving measures that Robert was employing would work.

* * *

Watching as his father raced out of the cafeteria, Scott wanted nothing more than to take off after him and get back to Alan. He knew something was seriously wrong from what the nurse had said, but he had a responsibility to his younger brothers too. Taking a shuddering breath, he wiped away the tears that were building in his eyes. He couldn't afford to let Virgil and Gordon see his fears.

"Scotty, are you alright?" Virgil inquired as he watched his older brother covertly wipe the tears from his eyes. He was old enough to know that whatever was happening had scared the crap out of his big brother.

"Yeah, I'm fine Virge, you don't have to worry." Scott voiced as calmly as he could when he saw the worry showcased in Virgil's honey brown eyes, even though his heart was breaking at not being able to go to Alan. "You better eat your ice cream before it melts away."

"Scott, I'm not a baby so stop treating me like one. I know something's wrong and I want to help." Virgil retorted as he crossed his arms in front of him petulantly. He hated being treated like one of the younger crowd, he was almost a teenager.

"I know you're not Virgil." Scott replied with a tight smile. "And you are helping, just by being here. I'll need all the help I can get to keep Gordon occupied until Kyrano and Onaha get here.

Deciding to give in for now and go along with Scott, Virgil decided he would find out later just what had his brother so upset. "Okay Scott, I can help with Gordy, but we are…."

"Virgil, can you help me talk Scotty into buying me another triple fudge sundae?" Gordon interrupted as he finished off the ice cream in his bowl and swiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt. It wasn't often they were allowed to splurge with such a wonderful dessert since Onaha preferred them to eat more healthy.

"Sorry Gordy, but one bowl is more than enough for you." John stated, knowing just how hyper Gordon could get if he had too much sugar in his system. The last thing they needed was the prankster keeping them awake all night tonight.

"Aw John, you're no fun." Gordon pouted as he glared at John with his steely green eyes.

"You'll thank me for it later fishface." John smirked as he reached out to ruffle his copper topped brother's hair.

"Stop it John" Gordon grumbled as he tried to move his head out of reach of John's outstretched hand causing his brother to laugh. Ignoring said brother's laughter, he turned to face Scott who was sitting opposite of him. "Scotty, can we go see Alan now?"

"Not right now, maybe later. Okay Gordo.? Scott stammered wishing that he could be there with Alan too. He had a sick feeling in his stomach that Alan was slipping away from them and there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

"Damn it Alan, don't you do this to me, to your family." Dr. Robert Singer gritted out through clenched teeth as he performed the one handed compressions on Alan's heart to keep it beating. "Your family needs you boy." Finishing the latest round of thirty compressions, Robert stopped just long enough to take a look at the monitor. He was elated to see that Alan's heart was finally starting to beat on it's own though it was sluggish.

"Come on Sprout, you can do it." He encouraged as he kept his palm firmly in place just in case. He watched as the blips on the screen started to move more and more until Alan was exhibiting a normal sinus rhythm. "Way to go little one, I knew you could do it." He gasped as he wiped a palm across his sweaty forehead, it had been too close a call with death for him.

"Dr. Singer, I think you might have another patient." Nurse Alison informed the man as she motioned with her head towards Jeff who was slumped on the floor with his head buried in his knees sobbing. She had noticed the father wavering as they worked desperately to save his young son's life, but knew she couldn't offer comfort until Alan was out of danger.

Walking over to the sobbing father, Robert kneeled down in front of his friend. "Jeff, Allie's okay, he me made it through this latest medical crisis." He soothed as he reached out to place a comforting hand on the billionaire's shoulder to steady him.

"I nearly lost him Robert, I nearly lost my baby." Jeff cried as he looked up at the doctor, tears cascading down his cheeks. He is the last gift that Lucille gave to me, to our family, and I don't know what we would do without him.

"Well let's hope you never have to find out." Robert stated as he reached out a hand to Jefferson Tracy to help him up off the floor. "You have to have faith Jeff. Alan just showed us how much of a fighter he is, so don't give up on him. That little boy is going to need all the love and support you can give him to get through this."

"I'd willingly give my last breath for Alan if that's what it takes to get him better." Jeff informed the doctor after he had made it to his feet.

Needing to be close to his baby, Jefferson thanked the doctor and firmly shook his hand before walking over to Alan's bedside and placed a loving hand on his son's head. "I'm here for you Allie, we all are. Scotty and the others are just downstairs and they need you to fight this son. We're all waiting for you to wake up and come back to us. We can't make it without you Sprout." Jeff whispered to his baby as he stroked his hair.

Glancing over Alan's still form, Jeff wished he could pick him up and cradle him in his arms. He knew it would be more for his own comfort than Alan's, but he really needed to feel Alan in his arms right now. If only Alan wasn't still attached to the ventilator that was allowing his weakened lungs to rest. Pulling a seat up to Alan's bed, he leaned over and placed his head by Alan's small form and lay a gentle hand on his chest. "I need you Alan, please don't leave me." He whispered as he took one of Alan's small hands in his.

* * *

Arriving at the hospital after flying in from Tracy Island and stopping by the hotel where Jeff had reserved them a suite, Kyrano and Onaha stopped at the nurse's desk and inquired as to where they could find the Tracy family. Onaha had been very worried about whether or not the boys had been eating and getting enough rest after learning of Alan's illness. The nurse was just getting ready to look up the information on her computer when she saw a small red headed child running towards the Malaysian woman.

"Gordon, your not supposed to run in the hospital." John chided as he watched Onaha bend down to hug his younger brother.

Hearing John's voice, Onaha looked up to see the other Tracy boys striding towards her and her heart nearly broke at seeing the dark smudges under Scott's eyes and the weariness in his step. It was obvious that young Alan's illness was having a dramatic effect on Scott's health also.

Knowing she would definitely have her work cut out for her in taking care of the boys, especially Scott, Onaha decided it was time to take charge of the situation. First, they would check in on young Alan and see how he was doing. Afterwards, she would make sure the boys ate a healthy meal and got some rest, even if they didn't want too. No one else was getting sick on her watch.

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

**Of Insects and Illness Ch. 8**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

**Author's Note: **Once again**, **sorry for the long wait.

* * *

**Previously: **_Knowing she would definitely have her work cut out for her in taking care of the boys, especially Scott, Onaha decided it was time to take charge of the situation. First, they would check in on young Alan and see how he was doing. Afterwards, she would make sure the boys ate a healthy meal and got some rest, even if they didn't want too. No one else was getting sick on her watch._

Once they had reached the Pediatric Intensive care Unit, Kyrano stayed with John, Gordon and Virgil, while Scott went with Onaha to visit Alan. Only two people were allowed to visit at a time and it was obvious to everyone that Scott desperately needed to see his baby brother. The oldest Tracy son was becoming thoroughly agitated and was starting to snarl at his younger brothers over trivial things.

Walking into Alan's room, Onaha gasped at seeing all the wires attached to the youngest of her charges, but the sight that caused her to blanch the most was seeing the tube coming from Alan's mouth. "Oh my heaven's, Alan." She whispered reverently as she walked over to Alan's bedside. She knew the young one was extremely sick, but still was unprepared for the sight of him being on a ventilator.

Hearing Onaha's gasp, Jeff glanced up to see the Malaysian woman and his oldest son walking into the room. He felt a large measure of relief knowing that she and Kyrano were now there to watch over his other boys so he could focus on Alan.

Placing an arm around Onaha's shoulders to offer comfort once she stood by his side, Jeff said, "I know Sprout looks pretty bad right now, but Robert thinks he's starting to respond to treatment within the last hour. Alan's starting to trigger the vent on his own every so often and the iron supplements they've been giving him are working on the anemia. Now, if they could just get his blood and platelet counts to come up, Allie would have a fighting chance."

"What about the Malaria Mr. Tracy, have they been able to treat it effectively?" Onaha asked as she brushed her fingers through Alan's blond locks.

"Not as of yet, they've recently started Allie on a new treatment involving intramuscular quinine though. Robert said the drug has shown promising results in other cases and he's hoping it will be the same for Alan." Jeff answered as he straightened the sheet over Alan's small form lying so still on the bed.

"I'm sure that it will. Alan is such a special child and has so many people praying for him." Onaha replied. She couldn't help but also feel that he had his own special guardian angel watching over him in the form of his deceased mother. Surely Lucille Tracy was watching over her baby right now.

"Yes he is." Jeff replied as he thought about Alan's conception and how it had been such a surprise to both he and his wife, a surprise that he was so very thankful for. Suddenly noticing that Scott hadn't said anything, Jeff looked at his eldest child with concern to see him looking extremely pale. His cheeks seemed sunken in and his eyes were lined with dark smudges. "Scotty, are you okay son?" Jeff asked as he started walking towards his oldest.

"Dad, I…" Scott voiced weakly just before his knees buckled and his cobalt blue eyes rolled up in his head.

"Scotty." Jeff yelled as he caught his oldest son just before his head could smack the floor. "Hey, I need some help in here." He yelled through the open door.

* * *

Dr. Robert Singer was walking down the hall of the PICU making his rounds when he heard the sound of a voice calling out for help. Recognizing the sound of Jeff Tracy's voice, he raced down the hallway and entered Alan's room just in front of two nurses. Looking at the scene his eyes beheld, he was astounded to see Jeff kneeling on the floor with an unconscious Scott's upper torso in his lap. "Jeff, what happened?" He queried as he knelt down and started assessing his newest patient.

"I don't know. I had just asked him if he was alright when he all of the sudden passed out in front of me." Jeff answered worriedly.

Grasping Scott by the wrist, he checked the teen's pulse. His pulse seems to be a little sluggish and he looks a little dehydrated, but other than that, everything seems to be fine." Robert stated as he finished his initial assessment. "I think Scott is mainly suffering from a wicked case of exhaustion and his body just gave out on him."

"Oh thank God." Jeff spoke through a relieved sigh. He couldn't deal with another family member being ill.

"I'm going to have an orderly bring a gurney in here so that Scott can rest comfortably. I'm going to hook him up to an IV to rehydrate him and if it's okay, I'd like to administer a sedative to make sure he gets some sleep." Robert voiced as he looked at Jeff for approval.

"Yes, that's fine, whatever you think is best." Jeff answered as he brushed sweat soaked bangs from his son's forehead just before he felt his son start to squirm beneath his hold.

"Da'ad what 'appened?" Scott groaned as he tried to sit up but felt himself restrained by strong arms.

"You fainted son," Jeff answered succinctly as he palmed away the perspiration glistening on Scott's cheek. Robert is having someone bring in a gurney for you. He wants you to get some sleep.

"Noooo, I wanna stay with Allie." Scott cried out in panic as he once again tried to push himself up.

"Calm down Scotty, nobody is going to make you leave. Robert wants you in here where he can keep an eye on you along with Alan." Jeff intoned as he struggled to keep Scott from doing anything further to hurt himself.

"Okay." Scott sighed as his eyes closed, his body visually relaxing upon hearing the words. A few moments later he felt a slight pinch on the back of his hand and then opened his eyes groggily to see an IV being administered.

"It's to rehydrate you Scott, just go back to sleep." Robert whispered soothingly as he finished the task and then injected a light sedative in the IV port.

Scott never felt it when two orderlies entered the room and lifted him onto the gurney. He never felt it when his dad placed a blanket over him.

"Sleep well Scooter." Jeff whispered as he leaned down and kissed his first born son on the forehead.

* * *

Arriving a couple of hours later at the exclusive five star hotel where Jeff had reserved the penthouse suite, Onaha set about to get things in order. First off, she needed to make sure the boys were well fed with a homemade meal. They had stopped off at a store on the way back from the hospital and she had picked up a roast, some potatoes, and the fixings for a salad. Ordering Kyrano to take the boys down to the heated indoor pool, she put the roast in a roasting pan and then started peeling the potatoes to place around the succulent meat. Placing the roast and potatoes in the oven, she went to each of the boys rooms and picked up their clothing that was strung about on the floor, sorting it as to what needed washed, and what needed to be hung in the closets. Finishing that task, she took a few moments to rest knowing that once Gordon returned from the pool, she would have her hands full with the little bundle of energy.

As she sat down in the recliner, her mind drifted back to the events in the hospital. It scared her to think what would happen to the family she had come to love as her own if young Alan didn't survive his illness. The Tracy's had barely made it through Mrs. Tracy's death, there was no way they could survive another loss so soon.

Thinking about her oldest charge, she wondered how Scott was doing. The teen had nearly scared her to death when he passed out the way he had. She chided herself for not being there for him sooner. She knew about the special bond Scott shared with his baby and brother and should have known the boy's illness would have a devastating affect on Scott. Hearing the sound of laughter, she was drawn out of her thoughts as young Gordon came rushing into the room.

"You missed me Virgil." The copper haired boy taunted as he raced around the couch to get away from his flustered sibling.

"Just you wait fish face, you're going to pay for pushing me back into the pool after I was already dry." Virgil seethed as he darted around the opposite end of the couch in an attempt to catch his sibling.

"That will be enough out of you two." Onaha scolded as she placed her hands on her hips. "Now go get washed up, dinner is nearly ready."

"Yes ma'am" Both boys answered as the stopped their horseplay and walked to the bathroom. They knew better than to make her angry.

Smiling at the boys, Onaha thought about her own daughter Tin-Tin who was spending some time with her grandparents. She truly missed her daughter and looked forward to the time when Tin-Tin returned. Hearing the sound of the door opening once again, she looked up to see her husband and John entering the room.

"Dinner will be ready shortly." She informed the two as they sat down on the couch to rest a few minutes.

"Onaha, is there any word on Alan or Scotty?" John queried as he looked up at with his soulful aqua-blue eyes.

"No honey, I'm afraid not. I'm sure your father will call if there is a change." Onaha answered the platinum blond. She had told her husband and John about the incident with Scott earlier when Gordon and Virgil were not around. "Don't worry John, I'm sure your brothers will soon be better. Now why don't you go get washed up for dinner. We wouldn't want to worry your father anymore by having another one of his children getting ill now would we?"

"No ma'am" John answered as he pushed himself to his feet to do as told, His father already had enough stress to deal with.

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

**Of Insects and Illness Ch. 9**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

**Author's Note: **Criminally Charmed, I hope you don't mind me using the nickname you gave Scott in your awesome stories!

* * *

**Previously: **_"Don't worry John, I'm sure your brothers will soon be better. Now why don't you go get washed up for dinner. We wouldn't want to worry your father anymore by having another one of his children getting ill now would we?"_

Sitting between the beds of his youngest and oldest sons, Jeff sighed at the situation he suddenly found himself in. Not only was Alan still extremely ill, but now he had Scotty to worry about also. He knew his oldest had been pushing himself too hard, blaming himself for Alan being sick and he should have done something about it, made him understand that it was nobody's fault. He hated the fact that Scott put so much responsibility on his too young shoulders. And in a way, he had only himself to blame for that. If he hadn't totally immersed himself in work when Lucille was killed, then Scott wouldn't have been forced to take on the role of father to his four little brothers. Reaching over to grasp his son's limp hand in his own, he whispered, "I'm so sorry Scooter. I failed you and your brothers when your mother died, and for that I am truly story. I can promise you this though, I will always be there for you boys when you need me now, no matter what." Skimming his fingers through Scott's hair more for his own comfort than his son's, his attention was soon drawn to his youngest as Alan's ventilator began to blare out a warning tone.

"Oh my gosh, Alan!" Jeff voiced with concern as he immediately turned to focus all of his attention on his baby boy lying there so still in the bed that seemed to engulf his small body. Hearing the sounds of quick footsteps approaching, he looked up to See Dr. Robert Singer entering the room. "Robert, what is it? What's wrong with Allie?"

Robert didn't have the time to answer Jeff's questions as he started assessing his young patient to find out exactly what was causing the ventilator alarm to wail. Scanning the digital readout, the doctor smiled. "It'sactually good news for a change Jeff. Alan is spontaneously venting on his own now so I am going to lower the settings on the ventilator to see if he is ready for extubation. If Alan is able to keep up the oxygen levels on his own with the lower rate of positive air pressure, it will mean his lungs are ready to do the job of breathing on their own."

"So basically, that means that you are going to try and wean him off the ventilator, right?" Jeff questioned, wanting to make sure he understood the doctor clearly.

"Yes, that's correct. Before removing Alan completely though, I have to make sure he has an adequate respiratory drive, hence the need to remain intubated, at least for now. Also, by leaving him on the ventilator, but at a diminished rate of air pressure, it will help make sure there isn't too much stress put on Alan's lungs as they take over the work of breathing on their own once again." Robert explained.

"How long will it be before you'll know whether or not Alan can be taken off the ventilator?" Jeff inquired as he lay his palm atop Alan's hair and lightly stroked it.

"Four hours at the most, by then we should know one way or the other about whether or not Alan's ready for extubation." Robert replied as he wrote the information down on Alan's chart.

* * *

Sitting at the dinner table with her husband and young charges, Onaha watched with concern as John pushed around the food on his plate. Usually, the platinum blonde thoroughly enjoyed feasting on her roast and potatoes with the secret seasoning, but tonight, he had barely managed to take three bites. Watching him with a worried expression, she had no doubts that his mind was at another place, specifically, the hospital room where his brothers now resided. She could understand how he felt, but she also knew she had to take things in hand before another Tracy could fall sick, something she wouldn't allow to happen on her watch, not when Mr. Tracy was already stressed enough.

"John, is something wrong with the food? You're just pushing it around on your plate instead of eating child." Onaha voiced softly.

"No ma'am, I'm sorry, the food is wonderful." John replied, a little ashamed for making the woman worry. "I was just thinking about Scooter and Spout is all."

"I know you're worried John, but you can't allow yourself to become ill too from not eating. Your brothers are going to need your support once they are released from the hospital and you won't be able to help them if you are rundown yourself." Onaha reprimanded the teenager lightly.

Knowing that the Malaysian woman was right, John stabbed a piece of roast with his fork and placed it in his mouth, marveling at the seasoned taste. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was.

Smiling with satisfaction at the sight, Kyrano was proud of the way his wife took such good care of the Tracy's boys. They had come to love the boys like their own, and he too was worried about them. Scanning the rest of their small group, it pleased him to see that Gordon and Virgil had both nearly finished consuming their own meals.

"What do you boys think about taking in a movie tonight before going to bed?" Kyrano questioned as he wiped his mouth with a napkin after finishing his own meal. The boys needed something to take their minds off if their brothers and a night out at the movies might just be the thing to do it.

"Yay, can we watch Finding Nemo?" Gordon questioned with excitement, remembering the well stocked movie cabinet by the entertainment center.

"Awww, not that one again fish face." Virgil groaned as he rolled his eyes. They had watched the movie so many times he was sure he could quote it line for line.

"No Gordon, I was thinking that maybe we could actually go to a movie theater and see what's playing." Kyrano replied over Virgil's objection. Seeing the smiles that lit up the boys faces, he knew he had made the right decision.

* * *

Checking in on his young patients later that evening, Robert was happy to note that Alan had indeed maintained an adequate respiratory drive on his own. Knowing that he would have to soon extubate the child, he stopped the enteral feeds they had been giving Alan to keep him nourished so that his stomach would be empty for the procedure. With an empty stomach, it reduced the chances of Alan vomiting during the extubation and making things worse.

Giving Alan a thorough checkup, he was relieved to see that his fever had now started to decline and hoped that it meant that Alan's body was finally getting the upper hand and was beginning to combat the malaria. He knew he would have to do a blood smear and a CBC before he could be sure that Alan was finally on the mend, but he felt like things was finally moving in a positive direction.

Turning his attention to Scott, Robert was happy to see that fifteen year old's skin color looked much better and that he wasn't _'shocky' _in appearance. Checking the readout on the monitor, he could see that Scott's blood pressure had returned to normal levels and that his pulse rate was within an acceptable range. "You're doing fine Scott, just fine." Robert whispered as he lightly patted his patient on the shoulder and wrote an order on his chart to stop the sedative that was being administered by IV. He just hoped that by the time Scott woke up, they would have already removed Alan from the ventilator. Replacing the digital chart pad with Scott's information on it at the foot of his bed, Robert turned to see an anxious looking Jeff watching his every move.

"You can stop worrying Jeff, it looks like both boys are doing fine as of now. Scotty should be waking up in a few hours and Alan is definitely showing signs of progress. I am going to have a lab technician come up and draw some blood so I can test his blood for antibodies just to be sure." The doctor informed his close friend.

"Thanks Robert, you don't know just how much those words mean to me." Jeff croaked around the lump in his throat. He had been waiting for so long just to hear a little good news and was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to happen.

"You don't have to thank me Jeff, I love those boys too." Robert stated as he clasped the Tracy patriarch on the shoulder. "I'm just glad that I could finally give you some good news for once. Now, I'll leave you and your boys alone so that I can make the rest of my rounds. I will, however, be back in a few hours to remove the endotracheal tube from Alan's throat."

"Thank God." Jeff whispered reverently with a relieved sigh. The sight of that tube threaded down his son's throat still gave him the chills. It would be a huge weight off of his shoulders once the thing was removed. Pulling up the reclining chair between the boys bed's once again, Jeff felt like he could finally close his eyes and get a few hours rest. He drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face as he thought about the possibility of being able to take his boys home soon once again.

**TBC **_**I know this chapter was short, but it seemed like the perfect place to end it.**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Of Insects and Illness Ch. 10**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

**Author's Note: **I am soooo overdue with this one….SORRY!

* * *

**Previously: **_Pulling up the reclining chair between the boys bed's once again, Jeff felt like he could finally close his eyes and get a few hours rest. He drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face as he thought about the possibility of being able to take his boys home soon once again._

Trying to fight off the effects of grogginess and unable to open his eyes because of the lead weights that seemed to be holding them down, Scott started to become aware of the sounds and smells around him. He knew he was in a hospital because of the overwhelming scent of antiseptic cleanser and wondered what had happened to put him there. He didn't remember hurting himself in any way, but something must have happened with the way he was having trouble just opening his eyes. Maybe he had suffered a head injury and that was why his brain felt so sluggish and he couldn't open his eyes.

Hearing the sound of paper crinkling to his right, he knew he wasn't alone. Someone was definitely in the room and it unnerved him a little not to be able to see who they were. He didn't like the thought of being stuck in the bed helpless and unable to defend himself. Knowing that he had to do something, he tried to move. Maybe if he could just get his hand on the call button, he could get a nurse or someone in there to help him. "_Please, what's wrong with me? Why can't I think clearly?"_ He thought as he tried command his brain to open his eyes or move his hand to the side of the bed where the call button was located.

Just as he was about to panic, another smell assaulted his senses, once that he knew well since it was that of his dad's aftershave. He started to calm immediately knowing that his Dad was here and he was safe. That feeling was soon confirmed as he felt fingers tugging through his hair gently. He remembered this from when he was little. His mother had done it when he was just a little tyke and was sick or irritable. It had always managed to make him feel better in just a short amount of time. Taking comfort in the feeling once again, he was about to drift off when he heard the sound of his father's voice talking to him, telling him that everything was okay and he could rest easy, that Alan was going to be fine.

"_Alan" _Scott thought with alarm as he suddenly remembered why he was at the hospital. His baby brother was desperately sick. He needed to wake up and he needed to do it now. Alan needed him.

* * *

Hearing the sound of movement coming from the bed to his left, Jeff opened his eyes and looked up from the magazine he was reading to see Scott shifting around on the bed restlessly. He knew his oldest would soon be waking and was glad that Robert had been in the room about an hour earlier to remove the endotrachael tube from Alan's throat. That was something he didn't want Scotty witnessing. Hell, it had been hard enough on him watching the scene and he could only imagine what it would do to Scott's psyche to witness his baby brother going through it. Glancing at his blonde haired child, he thanked God that Alan had still been deeply sedated for the removal, though he had been showing miniscule signs of coming out of the medicated coma for a few hours now, such as his pulse rate rising slightly.

Pushing himself to his feet, Jeff walked the few steps over and stood next to Scott's bed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Shhh, everything is okay Scooter, you can rest easy now. Alan is going to be fine." He soothed as he heard the mumblings indicating that Scotty was becoming anxious.

His words had the opposite effect however as he watched Scott beginning to toss and turn even more. "Scotty, calm down, I promise, everything is okay." Jeff voiced with concern, wondering what had Scott so agitated. Taking one Scott's hands in his own, he gave it a light squeeze, hoping that it would have the desired effect of calming his oldest. Watching his son closely, Jeff soon saw the sight of cobalt blue eyes peeking up at him through barely opened eyes.

"Da'ad?" Scott questioned as he peeked through small slits to see the concerned look on his father's face.

"Yeah, it's me Scooter." Jeff stated softly as he smiled as his first born son.

"Alan?" Scott queried, unable to form a coherent sentence since his brain was still so foggy.

"Alan's fine son. He's doing well enough now that Robert was able to take him off the ventilator. You can stand down now Scotty. Your baby brother is going to be just fine, I promise."

"M'glad" Scott mumbled just as his eyes shut and he drifted off into limber once again.

"Me too Scotty, me too." Jeff responded as he carded his fingers through Scott's hair once more, not willing to break the connection with his oldest just yet.

* * *

Early the next morning found Scott sitting up in bed and eating his breakfast, the effects of the sedation having worm off over night. Scattering the food around on his plate as he looked over at Alan, Scott was ecstatic to see that Alan was finally breathing on his own, albeit with the help of a nasal cannula hooked up to his small nose. Now, if onlu his baby brother would wake up.

"Scott, you're supposed to be eating, not playing with your food." Jeff admonished upon noticing the way that Scott had yet to take more than two bites of his food.

"Yes Sir, it's just not very appetizing." Scott replied as he wrinkled his nose in disgust at the bland scrambled eggs and what he thought was supposed to be a few strips of bacon.

"I think we can help with that." John announced cheerfully as he walked into the room followed by his younger siblings and the Malaysian couple watching over them. Since Alan was in a private room, Dr. Robert Singer had given his permission for the whole family to visit. "Onaha was afraid you might be hungry this morning, so she made you a couple of breakfast croissants." John informed his brother as he tossed a small paper bag onto the bed.

"Fantastic, thanks Onaha." Scott enunciated as he opened the bag and pulled out one of the breakfast sandwiches. Talking a large bite, he relished in the taste of sausage and melted cheese, mixed with Onaha's special seasoning.

"You're very welcome child." Onaha answered with a motherly smile towards the oldest of her charges. She couldn't wait to get the boys back home so she could take care of them the proper way. Turning her attention towards the Tracy patriarch, Onaha said, "Master Alan looks like he is doing much better today."

"Yes he is, Robert was finally able to take him off the ventilator last night since he was triggering the vent on his own. He also stopped the medications that were keeping Alan in an induced coma, so hopefully he will start to wake up sometime soon, but it could take days.." Jeff responded with a smile.

Ignoring the others as they talked, Gordon walked over to Alan's bed and climbed up on the side of it. "Hey Allie, when you gonna wake up and play with me huh? You've been sleeping for a really long time and I want to have some fun. If you wake up, we can play a prank on Scotty or anybody you want. I promise to let you choose if you'll just wake up." The green-eyed nine year old told his brother as he rubbed Alan's sheet covered leg.

Feeling sorry for his copper haired child, Jeff was about to explain to Gordon that it could be a long time before Alan woke up when he saw a minute movement of his baby's hand. It was just a little twitch of the finger, but it was enough to give him hope that Gordon was actually getting through to Alan. "Keep talking Gordy, I think Alan can hear you." Jeff voiced just above a whisper as he focused his full attention on the two boys on the bed.

Hearing his Dad's words and praying they were true, Scott threw the blanket off his legs and climbed out of the bed to stand beside his father. He had waited for this moment for so long and would willingly allow his two youngest brothers to play any prank on him without worrying about payback. "Come on Sprout, you can do it." Scott prodded, hope evident in his voice.

Suddenly, everything in the small hospital room grew quiet as Alan and Gordon became the focus of attention, everyone waiting with baited breath to see if Gordon could actually pull Alan towards consciousness. The two were definitely the little terrors of the group when it came to playing practical jokes and if anybody could wake Alan up, it would be Gordon

"Come on Allie, please wake up so you can tell me who you think we should prank first. I was thinking it should be Scotty since he's so bossy most of the time, but if you want it to be someone else, then that's okay with me." Gordon stated as he scooted in closer to Alan. "You know I can't do this alone since everybody calls us the terrible two, and besides, it's no fun if I do it on my own."

Holding their collective breaths, everyone in the room waited to see if Alan would respond to Gordon's plea to wake up.

**TBC Another short chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Of Insects and Illness Ch. 11**

**Disclaimer: **See chapter one

**Author's Note: **Diabetic warning ahead for sweetness!

* * *

**Previously: **_Holding their collective breaths, everyone in the room waited to see if Alan would respond to Gordon's plea to wake up._

As he drifted in that state just before consciousness, Alan tried to ignore the incessant voice trying to draw him from his cocoon of sleep. He was tired and just wanted to be left alone. He was just about to give into the darkness beckoning him into a deeper slumber when he heard that voice again, only this time, he recognized the voice.

"_Hey Allie, when you gonna wake up and play with me huh? You've been sleeping for a really long time and I want to have some fun. If you wake up, we can play a prank on Scotty or anybody you want. I promise to let you choose if you'll just wake up."_

"_It's Gordy," _Alan thought to himself as he listened to his brother talking about having some fun together. He always had so much fun playing with Gordon, even if Daddy did get onto them sometimes about the tricks they played.

"_You know I can't do this alone since everybody calls us the terrible two, and besides, it's no fun if I do it on my own."_

"_That's true," _thought Alan as he remembered the last prank they had pulled on Scotty with putting that lizard into his bed. His big brother had been so mad with them that his face actually turned red, before he chased them around the house, Gordon barely escaping his clutches by diving into the pull at the last minute. But he, himself wasn't so lucky. He remembered Scott catching him just moments later. He remembered being just a little bit afraid of what Scott would do until his brother had launched the evil tickle monster on him causing him to laugh so hard that he nearly wet his pants, the memory bringing a smile to his face.

"Dad, did you see that? I think Alan just smiled." Virgil voiced with awe at seeing Alan show his first sign of awareness since they had walked into his room just a little while ago.

"Yes I did Virgil, and it's the best thing I've witnessed in a very long time." Jeff answered with a big smile. His baby boy was finally coming around and he couldn't be happier if he tried, well…that was until he saw that next sign of movement.

Watching as Alan's eyelids began to flutter, Jeff coaxed him to keep on trying. "Come on Alan…that's it…wake up son. Open your eyes now, you're brothers and I are waiting on you."

"Please Allie, you can do it, we've been waiting a really long time." John added in a desperate need to see the only other blonde Tracy awake.

Unconsciously holding his breath, Jefferson emitted a huge sigh of happiness when his baby boy's sky blue eyes finally opened after what seemed like ages and stared up at him. "Hey Sprout, we've missed you son."

Opening his eyes, Alan had trouble focusing though the haze of sleep that had kept him under for so long. Blinking his eyes a few times to clear him, he was finally able to focus on his dad's face and smiled. He thought about talking, but his throat was hurting too much. Looking past his father, Alan scanned the room to see all of brothers there along with Kyrano and Onaha. Returning his attention back to his father, he whispered, "Daddy, my throat hurts."

"I know it does Allie, you've been a pretty sick boy, but you're going to be alright now." Jeff replied as he lovingly carded his fingers through Alan's hair trying to offer some comfort. "I'll have Robert get you something to make your throat feel better okay?"

"'Kay Daddy." Alan mumbled as his eyes slipped closed for just a minute before opening again. Glancing towards his brothers once again, his eye brows drew up in confusion. "Why you wearing your pajamas Scotty?"

Everyone in the room laughed as they felt the tension in the room dissipating with Alan's innocent question and they all looked to Scott, waiting to see what his answer would be.

"Well answer him Scooter, Alan's waiting on you to reply." John encouraged when Scott remained silent, his mouth gaping open like a fish out of water.

"Cause I wanted to stay here with you and get some sleep Sprout." Scott answered, thinking quickly as he stood by Alan's bedside, a tear trickling down his cheek. He was so happy to see his brother doing well again.

"Don't cry Scooter, you can sleep with me, I'll keep the nightmares away." Alan voiced with a yawn as he moved over to make room for his big brother. He was so sleepy

"Go ahead Scott, I'm sure it will be okay." Jeff encouraged as he watched Alan pat the bed beside him. "Both of you need some sleep. I'll take the others to the cafeteria to get something to eat."

"Yes Sir." Scott replied as he climbed up in the bed beside Alan, grateful to his father for knowing he needed the cherished time alone with his baby brother. Wrapping an arm around Alan and pulling him close while being careful not disturb the IV, Scott closed his eyes and drifted off to the soft murmuring voices of his family leaving the room and walking away. He could rest easy now knowing that Alan was going to be okay.

* * *

Arriving back at Alan's room approximately ninety minutes later, Jeff entered the room to see Dr. Robert Singer standing near the head of Alan's bed and watching over his children. He couldn't help but smile knowing how much the doctor cared for his boys. Robert was like a special uncle to them and he couldn't have loved them more if they were his own children. Walking over to stand near his friend, he reached over to brush a hand through Alan's and then Scott's hair.

"They're both going to be fine, thanks to you my friend." Jeff whispered so as not to disturb his sleeping children as he clasped a hand onto the doctor's shoulder.

"I didn't do anything out of the ordinary Jeff. It's the love you share as a family that pulled Alan through when things were looking bad for him. He had that love to draw strength from and it carried him through the rough times."

"He is going to keep getting better now isn't he?" Jefferson inquired as a shiver ran through his body at the thought of Alan becoming so sick again.

"Yes he is, but you'll have to keep a close eye on him over the next few years. Once a patient contracts malaria, there is always the chance of them having a recurrent attack so Alan will have to remain on preventative medicines for a while." Robert answered his close friend. "You'll also have to make sure that Alan is well protected on the island over the next few years. I suggest you get some mosquito repellant with Deet in it as it will be more effective. I would also suggest you put up some mosquito netting in areas where Alan will be for long periods of time, such as his bedroom. I know it might seem like it's going overboard, but better safe than sorry."

"I'll do whatever it takes to make sure Alan, or any of my boys, never has to go through this again" Jeff stated vehemently.

"I never doubted that for a minute, Jeff." Robert said as he looked at the boys once more. He knew Jeff's boys were his whole world and that to lose any of them would destroy the father.

"Okay, so tell me, how long before I can get Alan out of here?" Jeff queried of his doctor friend, ready to get his boys back home.

"Well, Alan's fever is down to 100.8 and hopefully it will continue to drop over the next twenty four hours. I plan on taking him off of the oxygen tomorrow morning to see if he can maintain his oxygen saturation levels at a steady rate. If he can do that and handle some soft solids, then I'll probably be able to release him in about forty eight hours." Dr. Robert Singer answered.

"That's fantastic. I'll go make some calls right now to see about getting the mosquito netting put up before Alan's released." Jeff said as he pulled out his vid-phone. He wanted everything in place for when they got Alan back home.

**TBC **_**Another short chapter, but I figured it would be better than having to wait another week or two for the next one. **_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Of Insects and Illness Ch. 12**_

_**Disclaimer: **__See chapter one_

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_**Previously: **__"That's fantastic. I'll go make some calls right now to see about getting the mosquito netting put up before Alan's released." Jeff said as he pulled out his vid-phone. He wanted everything in place for when they got Alan back home._

Sitting around Alan's hospital bed early the next day, the Tracy's found themselves in a rather jovial mood. Dr. Singer had come in and removed Alan from the oxygen cannula a few hours earlier and their youngest had been able to maintain a normal oxygen saturation level of ninety seven percent. Now, they just had to hope and pray that Alan would be able to keep his food down for the next twenty four hours or so.

"So Alan, whatcha think we ought to do when we get home in a couple of days?" Gordon asked as he sat in the middle of Alan's bed and helped his baby brother to color in the coloring book the nurses had given Alan to relieve the boredom of being in the hospital. "I was thinking maybe we ought to catch one of those tropical tree frogs that Scotty hates so much and put it in his bed."

"Wha', what did you just say fishface?" Scott asked with astonishment as he looked up from the magazine he had been reading upon hearing his brother's comment. Gordon knew just how much he loathed those little tree critters.

"What? I didn't say anything." Gordon stated innocently as he looked over at Scott with a gleam in his eye.

"Gordon, if you even try it, I swear I'll dye that red hair of yours green so you look like one of those dam..dang tree frogs." Scott threatened as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Gordon.

"What's the matter Scooter, you scared of an innocent little frog that's tiny enough to sit in the palm of your hand?" John queried with a snicker, seeing the enjoyment Allie was getting from watching Scott squirm.

"What? No! I just don't want the thing peeing on my bed is all." Scott refuted as he looked at the sibling closest to him in age.

"Un huh, whatever you say Scotty." Virgil retorted with a laugh getting in on the fun as he watched his brother's cheeks tinge a deep pink with embarrassment. They all, well…except for Sprout, knew Scott had a phobia about frogs even though he had tried to keep it a secret.

"Okay boys, leave your brother alone." Jefferson Tracy admonished with a smile as he glanced from child to child. It wasn't Scott's fault that he had a fear of frogs since he was a young tyke.

"Yes Sir" chorused the three middle siblings, each looking contrite after the reprimand from their father for taunting their big brother the way they had.

"Don't worry Allie, we'll still put the frog in Scotty's bed and make him scream like a girl." Gordon whispered as he leaned in close to his baby brother's ear.

"GORDY!"

"Oops, sorry Dad." Gordon apologized, realizing that he hadn't whispered as softly as he thought he had.

"You will be if you follow through on that prank." Scott grumbled at his prankster brother. Gordon alone was bad enough, but him and Alan together, Lord help them all.

* * *

Finally, the time arrived for Alan to be dismissed from the hospital and the family couldn't have been happier. Kyrano and Onaha had flew home ahead of time to prepare for the family's arrival back on the island and to make sure that mosquito netting had been placed around Alan's bed as well as other areas where the boys would be spending a lot of their time playing.

As they sat in Alan's room waiting for the discharge papers, Jeff watched his baby boy intently as he sat in Scott's lap while listening to the story _Guess How Much I Love you? _Seeing his child's amazing smile as Alan talked about one of the animals in the book, Jeff knew just how lucky they had been this time. They had nearly lost Alan to what should have been an innocuous mosquito bite. Shivering at the thought, Jefferson closed his eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks that Alan hadn't been taken away from them at such a young age. He knew his family never would have survived another loss so soon after Lucille's passing. Hearing the sound of feet squeaking on the floor, Jeff opened his eyes to see Robert walking into the room with the discharge papers in his hands.

"Okay Jeff, I have everything in order and Alan can leave anytime now. I want you to follow the instructions on his discharge papers very carefully. You'll need to be more vigilant of his health now, especially when he starts running a fever or comes down with diarrhea as they could both be signs that he is relapsing. I know they're signs of most regular childhood illnesses, but you can't take any chances where Alan's health is concerned. In order to lower the chances of Alan relapsing, I have written a prescription for a preventative regiment of medications and you need to make sure he takes them exactly as prescribed." Dr. Singer informed his friend.

"I can promise you that I'll follow your instructions to the letter." Jefferson voiced strongly as he looked the papers over. "When it comes to my children's well being, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure they stay as healthy as possible."

"I know that my friend. And you can bet that I will be coming to the island more often to check up on Alan now as well as the other boys. I don't want to ever have to go through the stress of having a critically ill Tracy on my hands ever again." Bobby stated as he clasped Jefferson on the shoulder.

"Believe me, that's something I never want to see happen again in my life either." Jeff voiced with a lump in his throat. The thought of any of his children sick or being hurt and in pain caused bile to form in his stomach.

"Ah, Alan's chariot has arrived." Robert stated as his attention was drawn from Jeff to the nurse pushing a wheelchair into the room. "Scott, would you please help your brother into the chair." Dr. Singer requested as he focused his attention on the two Tracy siblings.

"Scotty, I don't wanna ride in that thing." Alan immediately pleaded of his brother as he turned around and latched his arms around Scott's neck.

"It's okay Sprout, what if I ride with you? Will that be okay?" Scott queried anxiously as he felt his baby brother tremble slightly in his arms. He knew hospital policy required that all patients being dismissed ride in the dreaded chair and he was more than ready to get his baby brother out of the establishment.

"That's a wonderful idea Scott, Alan can ride in your lap." Robert stated giving his permission so the nurse knew it would be okay for the brothers to do so.

"Okay Scotty." Alan agreed as he released his death grip from around his big brother's neck. Turning around and settling himself into Scott's lap, Alan pulled his big brother's arms firmly around his waist and then held onto him with a fierce grip.

Scott couldn't help but chuckle at his baby brother's antics and bent down to kiss him on the top of the head. "I love you Sprout." He whispered as he gave his baby brother a light squeeze.

"Love you too Scotty." Alan replied as he leaned his head back and finally relaxed into his brother's hold, secure in the knowledge that Scotty wouldn't let anything happen to him."

* * *

Arriving back at Tracy Island later that evening, Jeff breathed a huge sigh of relief at finally being home again. It had been way too long since he was in familiar surroundings and slept in his own bed. At least here, he felt he could be the father his children needed and to provide for their everyday needs.

Carrying Alan into the house, he deposited his child on the couch for a much needed nap. Alan had been cranky on the plane ride home, but refused to settle enough to go to sleep. He couldn't blame the child for being cranky since his brothers had been a bit overbearing, smothering him every time he made a sound, worried whether or not he was okay.

Grabbing the old afghan that had been in the family for as long as he could remember from the back of the sofa, he placed it over Alan's small body to keep him warm. "Sleep well Sprout." He whispered as he bent down and gently carded his fingers through Alan's soft blond locks.

Ushering the others to their rooms, or out the door to play so they wouldn't wake Alan, Jeff poured himself a cup of coffee and then sat down to watch over his baby boy as he slept. _"Our baby's going to be fine Lucy." _He whispered as he thought about his wife who had given her life in the avalanche to save Alan's.

Once Alan had awoken a little over an hour later, the family sat down to the first meal they had eaten as a family since before Alan had gotten sick. Everyone relished in the savoring the scrumptious meal of pot roast, surrounded by different types of vegetables that Onaha had prepared and ate to their hearts delight. The mood around the table remained happy as everyone talked about their plans for the upcoming week and how they planned to include Alan in them. Of course, Jeff had to remind the boys that Alan was still convalescing and that it would take some time for the baby of the family to regain his strength, so they would have to be content to do things around the house.

After the evening meal was finished, the boys all sat down to watch a movie and then were sent off to bed once it had ended. Jeff looked forward to what was sure to be a peaceful quiet night since there was no nurses around to come barging into the room every time he closed his eyes. Placing a baby monitor in Alan's room so he could hear if his son awoke, he strode down the hallway to his own room carrying the receiver and changed into his nightclothes. Placing the receiver on the bedside stand and grabbing the book that he had been reading before the whole mess began, he settled into read when the silence of the night was shattered by an angry scream.

"GORDON."

Shaking his head, Jeff could only laugh knowing his prankster was up to no good once again.

**THE END **_**I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at writing the Tracy's. I have been challenged to write another. So look for WORDS SPOKEN IN ANGER coming soon.**_


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